Pre-Pharm Studies?

[PA_dud3]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey all, recently got my fall schedule. So, the "big" classes I am taking are:

Chem-101 (Principles of Chemistry I)
Chem-101 Lab
Bio-150 (Principles of Cell & Molecular Biology I)
Bio 150 Lab
Math 120 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I)
I also have a world history class and your generic freshman seminar class.

So, my questions are

A) What was your experience if you have taken any classes like these?

B) What sort of study habits helped you in these courses? (also, Written or Electronic Notes?)

C) About how much time did you guys allocate for studying in these courses?

Next semester I am pretty sure I will have Gen Chem 2 and Bio II, maybe Anatomy as well. This should be the last math class I take, as I took Stats in High School.

Sorry for the odd questions, just looking to get some advice from those who have "gone on before me" so to speak, haha.

Thanks,

Dd3

 

[NextStepTutor_4]

Hi @Doktor_dud3! Here are my answers to your questions:

A.

Chem-101 (Principles of Chemistry I) + Lab
Chemistry I is an extension on what you've learned in high school. You'll go back and review properties of atoms, molecules, periodic table, and stoichiometry. In lab, you'll be using triple beam balances and glassware, performing chemical reactions, and writing lab reports. The class wasn't too bad compared to the more advanced classes.
Bio-150 (Principles of Cell & Molecular Biology I) + Lab
There is quite a bit of reading and material when I took this class back in college. I remember going into heavy detail and memorizing meticulous detail of each enzyme (such as the different types of polymerases) and its functions. I don't think I took the lab portion though.
Math 120 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I)
Calculus is a class that took quite a bit of work because of all the practice that is necessary. This is another class that took quite a bit of time. Make sure to practice and not fall behind!

B. In terms of studying habits, I would dedicate a portion of your time whether it's in the morning, afternoon, or evening to study everyday. Be consistent with your habits and schedule. I used electronic notes. I find it much easier to type notes on a piece of Word document and ctrl-f if necessary to find a specific piece of material.

C. For chemistry, I probably spent around 30 minutes - 1 hour everyday. Cell/molecular biology, calculus, and labs can take anywhere from 1 hour upwards to 4-6 hours everyday.

Remember that the goal for all these classes is to establish the fundamentals so be sure to ask any questions and seek help if you do feel overwhelmed. Taking 2 lab classes in conjunction with all of your courses seems like quite a bit of work but if you have a good organization, it should help you. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[PA_dud3]

Hi @Doktor_dud3! Here are my answers to your questions:

A.

Chem-101 (Principles of Chemistry I) + Lab
Chemistry I is an extension on what you've learned in high school. You'll go back and review properties of atoms, molecules, periodic table, and stoichiometry. In lab, you'll be using triple beam balances and glassware, performing chemical reactions, and writing lab reports. The class wasn't too bad compared to the more advanced classes.
Bio-150 (Principles of Cell & Molecular Biology I) + Lab
There is quite a bit of reading and material when I took this class back in college. I remember going into heavy detail and memorizing meticulous detail of each enzyme (such as the different types of polymerases) and its functions. I don't think I took the lab portion though.
Math 120 (Calculus and Analytic Geometry I)
Calculus is a class that took quite a bit of work because of all the practice that is necessary. This is another class that took quite a bit of time. Make sure to practice and not fall behind!

B. In terms of studying habits, I would dedicate a portion of your time whether it's in the morning, afternoon, or evening to study everyday. Be consistent with your habits and schedule. I used electronic notes. I find it much easier to type notes on a piece of Word document and ctrl-f if necessary to find a specific piece of material.

C. For chemistry, I probably spent around 30 minutes - 1 hour everyday. Cell/molecular biology, calculus, and labs can take anywhere from 1 hour upwards to 4-6 hours everyday.

Remember that the goal for all these classes is to establish the fundamentals so be sure to ask any questions and seek help if you do feel overwhelmed. Taking 2 lab classes in conjunction with all of your courses seems like quite a bit of work but if you have a good organization, it should help you. Hope this helps and good luck!

Thank you so much for your help! I am taking an accelerated 2 year course, so they put a lot of coursework into each semester, however my schedule still gives me a good bit of free time so I hope to be able to maintain a good study/work schedule.

Thanks again!

 

[lalaland33]

A) What was your experience if you have taken any classes like these?

These are all freshman level courses so they are not very difficult. For Chemistry 1 & 2, just do practice problems and understand the theories. Biology is straight up memorization and understanding some pathways (Glycolysis & Krebs, etc.). Math is also lots of practice problems.

B) What sort of study habits helped you in these courses? (also, Written or Electronic Notes?)

When I took Chemistry & Calc , I took written notes since I couldn't input formulas into my laptop. Biology was just powerpoints with extra notes typed at the bottom. Study habits: do a few problems for chem & math everyday so that I'm not overwhelmed when the exam comes up. Biology: re-read the powerpoints a few times. History, read the powerpoints or the textbook -whatever your professor says.

C) About how much time did you guys allocate for studying in these courses?
Probably 2 hours a night for all my classes, more or less depending on whether the material was difficult. Gen Chem took more time while Bio and Math were easier for me. This might be different for you. Just spent however much time you need until you understand what they taught you in class.